Pump



Oct. 1, 1929. BELLOCQ 1,730,337

. PUMP Filed Aug. 30, 1928 INVENTOR.

Tor-[5Z0 B222 BY A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMP Application filedAugust 30, 1928. Serial No. 308,074.

My invention relates to a new type or scheme of moving or transportingliquids and especially to pumping permitting of the elevation of liquidsfrom substantially any depth without the necessity of situating themachinery at the bottom of the well and includes the employment not onlyof the energy produced by the waves set up by the rapid reciprocation ofa piston but also the extra waves or impulses produced by the openingand closure of a valve in the system. Variations of pressure in the bodyof liquid in the pump may be employed to effect the pumping and it ismore eflicient and a larger output is produced if the variation isproduced in a plurality of series.

Figure l of the accompanying drawing illustrates a vertical sectionthrough apparatus incorporating the invention.

The apparatus for carrying out the invention consists of a pipe reachingto the bottom of the well or within the water therein and provided atits lower end with a check valve VI. At or about the ground level thepipe enters the cylinder of a pump or compressor provided with a piston.The cylinder has a single valve VS. In beginning the operation thepiston is placed at its outermost position and the pipe and cylinder arecompletely filled with liquid, care being taken to exclude substantiallyall free air. The valve VI prevents the liquid running out of the pipeand the valve VS is closed. The piston is then pushed forward by asuitable power and its reciprocation started. After the piston has moveda proper part of its stroke the valve VS is opened sues therefrom. 'Thevalve VI also opens and liquid enters the bottom of the pipe from thewell and the continued operation of the device lifts liquid from thewell bottom and delivers it through the valve VS which is closed at theproper part of each stroke of the piston at which time the outflow ofliquid will be temporarily stopped.

I have thus described the physical operation of the apparatus, while theunderlying theory of its operation and the theoretical application ofthe physical forces involved may not be entirely clear, there will nowbe set and liquid isforth a full and clear statement of what is believedto be the explanation of the operation and how the physical forcesinteract with the apparatus to produce the desired effect.

The apparatus employed involves three parts, namely (1). the apparatusfor producing the impulses or waves of force and for producing theopening and closing extra waves or impulses (2) the transmission line orpipe (3) a valve in the lower end of the pipe which may produce in itsturn opening and closing extra waves or impulses.

1. The first portion of the apparatus may consist of a compressor of anyapproved design having a single valve VS diagrammatically illustrated inFig. 1. The piston of the compressor is rapidly reciprocated preferablythrough a short stroke so as to produce waves of energy in the'liquidcolumn. Initially the piston is moved to its outermost position and thepipe and compressor cylinder filled with liquid. The valve VS isinitially closed. The compression of the liquid caused by the inwardstroke of the piston initiates a wave movement through the column ofliquid. When, the movement of the piston has produced the desiredpressure, which may be before or at the end of its stroke, the valve VSis suddenly opened. The cooperation and relative timing ofthe piston andvalve may be accomplished in any appropriate way but I prefer to havemechanically interlocked so that the valve will open at the appropriatemoment in the piston stroke. When this valve opens it suddenly, by thevariation of pressure, transforms the piston wave into an opening extraimpulse or wave in the liquid column. Advantage may be taken also of theextra wave caused by the closure of the valve but the 99 closure extrawaves are of lesser effect than the opening extra waves. Valve VS beingclosed when the piston enters the cylinder a certain pressure isproduced to set up a wave in the liquid column. When the valve VS opensthe opening sets up an-extra or supplemental wave'impulse which like thepiston wave will travel through the whole length of the li uid in thepipe to the lower valve VI. T is extra or auxiliary wave 100 or impulsemay be similar also to that produced in water rams. The water ram,however, takes advantage of the closing extra wave rather than the extrawave produced by opening. In my system this extra wave when workin withthe valve VS open to the air is probably one of much volume and slightpressure. This wave and extra wave cause the liquid to proceed from thewell by valve VI and carry it through the pipe and and drive it throughvalve VS which is open. It is necessary to calculate the necessary pressure and velocity of the wave for the length and diameter of the pipeemployed as a guide in altering or adjusting, in each case, thediameter, stroke and frequency of the piston. As is well known insystems trans. mitting energy by wave through colulnns or pipes ofliquid the pressure produced in a tube or pipe of a given diameter maybe varied or controlled by providing in communication with the pipe afurther container filled with the same liquid which is being pumped toact as a capacity or condenser. In order to set up such waves it isnecessary to cause alternate areas of high and low pressure in themedium and this may be effected by any siutable known means. I find itconvenient to use for this purpose a reciprocating piston and valve asindicated.

2. The second portion of the apparatus con sists merely of a suitablepipe which :brings up the liquid and, through the flowing stream,transmits the energy or waves from the piston and the upper valve VS tothe lower valve VI it beingnecessary to calculate the section of thepipe in accordance with the pressure and the volume of the liquid to beobtained or extracted from the well. Since energy-bearing wave-currentsin liquid have a certain velocity, the frequency of the piston must becalculated in order that the wave produced should conform with thelength of the pipe, it being possible to work likewise with theharmonics of the wave and also to work when the pipe length'correspondswith odd or even fourths of such wave len th. This is preferred but thepurpose can be accomplished, possibly with less efficiency, with otheradjustments.

3. The third portion of the apparatus consists of the lower valve VIwhich may serve three purposes, (a) it serves as a nonreturn valve so asto permit the pipe being filled up before starting; (Z1) it causes theliquid to move in one direction only avoiding the return thereof intothe well; and (c) it may be that it also serves as a wave or impulsetransformer like the upper valve VS producing by its movement an extraWave or impulse. Thus the pipe will draw in a great quantity of liquidunder low pressure being the inverse of the piston WlllCll produces awave or impulse of high pressure and little volume.

At first sight it might seemthat if the piston is caused to enter thecylinder when the valve VS is closed the apparatus would burst. This isnot the case, however, since the capacity for compression and theelasticity of the liquid being pumped, when known, serve to allow thestroke of the piston and the pressure obtained to be calculated and theapparatus to be operated in such a way as not to exceed the limit ofresistance of the apparatus before the opening of the valve. It will beremembered that the impulses and extra impulses of energy in the waveform are possi le solely because the liquids worked upon arecompressible and elastic which permits of their working in a resilientmanner.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. The piston is withdrawnfrom the cylinder to the maximum extent possible and the cylinder andpipe are filled u substantially completely with liquid ta 'ng care thatsubstantially no free air be left inside. The valve VS is closed and thepiston is pushed inwardly vigorously causing a compression of the liquidand initiating an energy carrying wave which moves through the column of1i uid. As soon as the piston has entered suflicientl to produce thedesired pressure the valve as is suddenly opened. This abrupt opening ofthe valve VS ,permits escape of liquid and suddenly changes the pressurethus producing an opening extra wave which will travel through the wholelength of the pi e. The waves produced by the piston and y the valve VSboth carr' energy to the valve VI which will be opened The system ismore economical and more efficient than one which employs for thepumping and lifting of the liquid only the energy.

transmitted by the waves set up by the piston action. If the opening ofthe valve VI is abrupt it may transform the extra wave into a wave ofsmall pressure but great volume. Since the valve VI does not permit theliquid to flow downwards an .upward flow will occur, that is to say, theenergy transmitted by the two Waves will not only open the valve VI butwill lift the liquid in the pipe and draw from the Well liquid past thevalve VI and upwards through the pipe from which it will dischargethrough the open valve VS. Operation then may become substantiallycontinuous the piston being rapidly reciprocated and the valve VSoperated in harmony therewith being always closed at the proper part ofthe piston stroke. It might be best to arrange the shaft moving thepiston so that it would also govern the valve VS. Thus the Work might bedone in a completely automatic manner. Thus a cam C may be mounted onthe drive shaft and engage mechanism D to operate the valve VS at theproper predetermined point in the stroke of the piston. Any othersuitable means for associating the operation of the piston and the valvemay employed. The time of opening and closing the valve VS and its sizemay be adjusted to give the maximum output of liquid with the minimumexpense of energy to operate the piston. The apparatus expels durin eachstroke of the piston a volume of liquid several times greater than thevolume displaced by the piston. In practice it is possible to expelduring each stroke of the piston a volume of liquid about seventeentimes as lar e as the volume displaced by the piston an for this reasonthetstroke of the piston may be very short or the volume displaced ateach stroke of the piston may be small.

I have found that one specific appropriate apparatus which willillustrate in a concrete way the present invention may consist of aflllld pi e having an internal diameter of one inch. uch a pipe placedina well having water .at a depth of 20 meters may have arranged at itslower end a valve opening 30 millimeters in diameter seated in which isa ball of approximatel 38 millimeters in diameter held in place y theusual cage which may be adjusted so that the ball can rise from its seatabout 20 millimeters. .On the surface of the earth the pipe may be ledinto the cylinder of a compressor of 50 millimeters diameter in whichis. a piston having a stroke of about 30 millimeters. The piston may bereciprocated at a speed of about 180 revolutions per minute by asuitable electric motor. In the cylinder of the compressor may be avalve having a diameter of about 30 millimeters and'adJuSted so as tohave a movement of from 5 to 7 millimeters. The piston will be moved toits outermost position and the cylinder and pipe entirely filled withwater. The ball valve rests by gravity in its closed position and thevalve in the cylinder is closed. The electric motor will be started andat the proper time in the stroke of the piston the valve in the cylinderwill be opened. The ball valve will open and water will begin to flowfrom the piston valve with an output of about 4,000 or 5,000 liters perhour.

While the fundamental theory on which the operation is based may besomewhat in doubt, I have endeavored to set out herein what I believe isthe true princi le but my invention is not to be so limited. 11 order toset up such waves as are here involved it is necessary to producevariations in compression in the liquid and although a compressor isillustrated for such purpose it will be understood that the invention isnot so limited but extends to any suitable or known means for producingsuch effect.

This system permits of working at any desired depth without beingcompelled to arrange the machinery within the well, provided thenecessary pressure has been well calculated. It is possible thatadvantageously, the work is done under a considerable pressure in orderto use, same as in electricity, the transmission of high voltages overlong dlstances'with favorable output. This system also permits of workinwith a piston of reduced dimensions as, taking advantage of thetransforming efi'ect of the wave or impulse, a p1ston of a given dislacement, under a glven pressure, would e able to elevate at each strokea liquid volume several times greater than the same displacement butunder a pressure several times lower.

Thls system would seem to be contrary to the laws of gravity which doesnot permit of liquid being elevated or drawn up from a depth greaterthan the length of a column of the same liquid counter-balancing theatmospheric-pressure; however, in fact there is employed a force in waveform which travels throughout the length of the pipe and arrives at thelower valve VI. This force operates at this valve in the same manner asif there were a piston at this point.

The present system would seem also to be contrary to the law which doesnot ermit a piston of a given displacement to o tain at each stroke avolume of liquid greater than such displacement; but it will be apparentthat a plston of a given displacement, under a given pressure, mayobtain'at each stroke a liquidvolume several times greater than thevolume of displacement of such piston, but under a pressure severaltimes less.

The piston may work either with the cylinder horizontal or with thecylinder vertical or inclined. The pipe through which the liquid flowsmay be either horizontal or vertical or inclined and it may be curved orstraight. All of these arrangements may be referred to as pumps and Iuse the term a pumping as including moving, transporting -or conveying1n vertlcal or horlzontal or inclined direction.

The term liquids is used to include not only simple liquids but alsomixtures of liquids and such mixtures of liquids with gases or solids asare capable of being transported through pipes or pumped.

It is obvious that the device has been shown only am. preferredembodiment and that any other may be used for the same purpose.Apparatus for carrying out the invention may be constructed frommechanisms or devices already known and used for other purposes and theinvention is not confined to any specific form of valves or compressorsor means of operating them.

Having thus fully described and ascertained my said invention, and themanner in which the same is to be performed and carried into practice, Ideclare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is ofthe pipe in the liquid supply, a compressor cylinder at the other end ofthe pipe, an outlet for the liquid, a piston inthe cylinder, means tocause the piston to repeatedly com- 5 press the liquid in the pipe, avalve in the outlet and means for opening the outlet valve at apredetermined point in each stroke of the piston.

2. Apparatus for pumping liquids comrisin a )i e leadin to the li uid sul 5nd filled with liquid? 11 check alve in hia pipe Within the liquidto-be moved, an outlet for the liquid, means for compressing the liquidin the pipe, and separate means for sud- 15 denly releasing thepressure.

3. Apparatus for pumping liquids comprising a check valve in the liquidsupply, a compressor adjacent the point of delivery, a pipe filled withliquid leading from the valve to the compressor, an outlet for theliquid,

means for operating the compressor to compress the liquid in the pipe,and separate means to suddenly release the pressure, to operate thecheck valve and move the liquid. 4. The method of pumping liquidscomprising placing in the liquidsupply a pipe provided with an outletnear one end controlled by a valve and carrying at the other end a checkvalve in the liquid supply, filling the pipe with liquid, compressingthe liquid in the pipe, and operating the valve controlling the outletto suddenly releasethe pressure to cause the liquid to fiow toward thecompressing means near the outlet, and to cause new liquid from thesupply to enter the pipe.

5. The method of pumping liquid through a pipe provided with acontrolled outlet near and filled with liquid, a check valve in the pipein the liquid supply, a compressor cylinder at the other end of thepipe, a valve in the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder and means foroperating the piston and the valve in the cylinder to set up a pluralityof series of compression waves in the li uid in the pipe todoperate thecheck valve an pump the liqu1 9. The method of pumping liquid through apipe provided with a controlled outlet near one end and a check valve atthe other end, comprising placing the check valve in the liquid to bepumped, filling the pipe with the liquid, and applying energy to theliquid in the pipe in a contemporaneous plurality of series of impulsesin the form of compression waves at a point toward which flow occurs.

10. Apparatus for pumping liquid comprising means for alternatelycompressing a body of liquid in a pipe, separate means for alternatelyreleasing the pressure, and an outlet for the pipe, whereby thevariations in compression cause the liquid to enter and flow through thepipe.

In testimony whereof- I afiix my signature.

TORIBIO BELLOCQ.

one end and a check valve at the other end,

comprising placing the check valve in the liquid to be pumped, fillingthe pipe with the liquid, and repeatedly compressing the liquid in thepipe and operating the outlet controlling means to suddenly release thecompression.

6. Apparatus for pumping liquids comprising a pipe leading to the liquidsupply and filled with liquid, a check valve in the pipe within theliquid supply, an outlet for the liquid, and means to set up acontemporaneous plurality of series of compression waves in the liquidin the pipe to operate the check valve and move-the liquid.

7. The method of pumping liquids in pipes comprising repeatedlycompressing the liquid to cause a series of impulses of energy in theform of compression waves to pass through the liquid and repeatedlysuddenly relievlng the compression of the liquid to cause another seriesof impulses of energy in the form of compression waves to pass throughthe liquid to cause liquid to pass through-the system.

8. Apparatus for pumping liquids com prising a pipe leading to theliquid supply

